Mike,
This is my general feel for the situation, also. I think this is also where Westphal's use of players really bothers some players. Look at Omri's stats from last year to this and there is a real significant fall off and I think most of us saw a huge fall off from the beginning of last year to the end of last year. Point being perhaps a comparison of his stats from the first part of last year to now would be shocking. Although I can't see that he is wearing down (like Cuz) from his schedule, the statistics would support that idea. Unfortunately, national teams are very important in most countries except ours.
I think he has the proper attitude. He seems involved with the game. I don't know if he has friendships on the team.
I was puzzled by a few things he said in his note/interview. One seemed to imply that there was no real team play on the Kings and perhaps until recently, that was true but recently the team has been looking very good. I also wonder who he was to judge what is or isn't team play in the NBA. He says other and better teams want him but how can he be sure? I presume his agent has been busy at least up to the trade deadline.
Bad timing on the note and with his benching for two reasons both evolving from the improvement in the team. #1 It may appear that Omri's benching has helped the team. I don't for a second think that the team's great play recently is because Omri isn't playing but things could be twisted to appear that way. It has a lot more to do with the evolving comradeship of Dally and Cuz, the healing of Reke, and the trade for Thornton. Remember Thornton? #2 The timing of the note was awful. The things he said about the Kings are no longer true. The team is a team. It is a good team. As Thornton said in the post game interview after the last game, it's the best team in the NBA.
It's not like anyone at the SF position has lit up the team. In fact my personal belief based on the idea that young guys get better, Greene doesn't seem highly motivated and Cisco may be as good as he will be, Omri is the guy I would go forward with at this point but only as the first guy off the bench at his position. Who knows what he wil be like in a few years? As a general statement, shooting and defense tend to improve as a player gets older. The only problem is that we don't need a shooter at that position. We need a defender who can make an occasional long shot to keep his defender honest. At this point I don't think that's Omri.
Westphal and I guess others on the forum think Greene is a better defender. I'll take their word for it. It may very well be true although I don't get any tingle of anticipation when Greene enters the lineup. Noting a player's defensive abilities is something that requires more than watching a couple days and I have not focused on Omri's defensive abilities.
Something I didn't know until yesterday is that the reason he could leave his Israeli team is because he had written into his contract that he could leave if 8 players on his team played more minutes than he did. This shows that he has never been the star which shouldn't be surprising because he was so darn young in Israel and is 22 now yet somehow I thought he had been a star. He was simply a young guy filled with potential. Essentially he has always been in the position he is in now although I think if we added up the minutes on the Kings, he would be in the top 8. I was also surprised to hear that he has bulked up yet didn't all of us guys get a little more meat on our bones after adolescence. He's working at it.
My problem with this interview is I hope it doesn't get too specific. It's not like I have studied him like Brick or bajaden probably have. My impression is that he works hard and that this aspect of his personality matches a few other players like Cuz and may be a big part why this team has the unique ability to just .. never .. gives .. up. He is part of a team that does better on the road than at home. I don't understand why this is so. It is certainly a unique achievement seldom seen in the NBA by a team. Something is working very well and tampering with what we have should be done carefully.
Of course perhaps Westphal's demeanor is the inspiration. I doubt it. It's a team thing and Westphal is part of the team.
Omri is too young and inexperienced with the ways of the NBA to know that he just might be on a good team for him. He needs to be a better defender but that may come. This summer will determine his future with the team, I think. If we get a SF, he moves farther down the bench. A SF or maybe two HAVE to be traded if we acquire a veteran starter. This is a bad situation for three very average SFs.
Please supply input. I need to represent the Sacramento Kings fans and not just myself.
And, oh, dearie, dearie, if you folks knew how I hate phones. It won't show in what I say but oh, do I hate phones. The Sports Rabbi is a great guy to talk to so it should go well. BTW, Josh is the Sports Rabbi and he has posted here.
Tune in and take notes to humiliate me.
1130 PDT today, Wednesday.
Israel Sports Radio
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